Nove meses e meio após romper o ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito, Gustavo Mosquito volta a ser relacionado pelo Corinthians. O camisa 19 estará à disposição de Luxemburgo para o duelo deste sábado (19), contra o Cruzeiro. Além disso, o atacante encaminhou sua renovação com o Timão até o meio de 2026.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol LatinoEx-atacante do Corinthians, Boselli faz gol de artilheiro; assistaFutebol Latino18/08/2023CorinthiansCom multas milionárias, volantes assinam primeiro contrato profissional com o CorinthiansCorinthians18/08/2023CorinthiansRojas ganha ritmo e pede passagem no Corinthians; veja como Luxemburgo deve encaixar o paraguaioCorinthians17/08/2023
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– Estou muito feliz! O Corinthians sempre quis que eu ficasse e eu também sempre quis ficar aqui. Amo muito este clube, amo muito estar aqui – disse o atleta em entrevista à Corinthians TV
Gustavo Mosquito possuía contrato com o Timão até dezembro de 2023, e o clube alvinegro havia encaminhado a extensão contratual com o atacante. No entanto, a situação estava “travada” pois o atacante de 25 anos desejava mudar seu staff.
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O atacante poderia assinar pré-contrato com qualquer outra equipe, e tanto o Botafogo quanto clubes do Oriente Médio sondaram a situação do atacante, como informado pelo Lance!. Contudo, o camisa 19 decidiu permanecer no Corinthians.
Na visão da diretoria, Gustavo Mosquito é jovem e pode ser útil no processo de rejuvenescimento corintiano iniciado por Luxemburgo, mas que deve ganhar força a partir do ano que vem, com a próxima gestão do clube, que passará por eleição presidencial no fim desta temporada.
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+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Timão no Brasileirão
A última aparição de Gustavo Mosquito com o manto do Timão foi no dia 26 de outubro da temporada passada, quando rompeu o ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito na derrota diante do Fluminense, na Neo Química Arena.
DC had seven different opening combinations and they averaged 19.23 in the season, the lowest among all teams
S Sudarshanan22-May-20253:05
Rapid Fire: What will be DC’s biggest regret this season?
Delhi Capitals (DC) began their IPL 2025 campaign with four wins in a row. They lost just the one match in their first six outings. But the 59-run loss against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday was their fifth defeat in last six completed matches. That meant they missed out on the last playoffs spot.Hemang Badani, DC head coach, said that one of the reasons they were knocked out was their opening batting pair. Even in their successful run at the start of the season, DC used three opening pairs: Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Fraser-McGurk and KL Rahul, and Abishek Porel and Fraser-McGurk. By the time their campaign ended, they had used a further four new opening combinations. DC’s openers averaged 19.23 in the season, the lowest among all teams.”A settled opening pair is only possible when your opening pair gives you a start,” Badani said in Mumbai. “If you don’t get starts, you are bound to make changes to try and fill that gap, fill that void. While other sides have had great powerplay with the bat, we haven’t had those, unfortunately. Opening at the top was a worry for us.”Related
DC seamer Mukesh Kumar fined 10% of match fees after MI defeat
Suryakumar, Santner and Bumrah lead MI into playoffs
Du Plessis: MI's counterpunch cost us in last two overs
Karun Nair was brought in in DC’s fifth match of the season and scored a scintillating 40-ball 89 against MI in Delhi batting at No. 3. That included a stellar takedown of Jasprit Bumrah, whom he hit for 18 in the last over of the powerplay. But in the six games Nair played after that, he had three single-digit scores including two ducks, and a best of only 31. He was also pushed up to open the batting in two of those matches.Similarly, Rahul began the season by batting at No. 4 but was shuffled up and down – from opening spot to No. 3 and back again to No. 4. In bowling coach Munaf Patel’s words, Rahul then “asked for” the opening spot against Gujarat Titans in Delhi, scored an unbeaten 112 and opened again in Mumbai on Wednesday.”You ideally want people to read the game and play. Most players have been around long enough,” Badani said. “Even someone like Karun Nair, even though he’s made a comeback into the IPL after two-three years, he’s a seasoned campaigner. You don’t necessarily have to literally spoon-feed them. With some of the younger boys, you still have to try and make sure that they are given the right information, they are being told and given role clarity.2:13
Aaron: DC have played musical chairs with openers
“But primarily, the guys who’ve been around long enough, you just try and help them with match-ups – who can you take down? What’s an ideal number that we’re looking at in the powerplay? What do you think is a good score in the powerplay on this surface? And how do we go about getting those numbers? That’s primarily the conversation you would have with guys like Faf and KL and Karun and guys who’ve been around long enough. You don’t necessarily teach them how to bat.”On Wednesday, MI scored 27 off Mukesh Kumar’s penultimate over and 21 off Dushmantha Chameera’s last over to set DC 181 to win. It was not a surface that was conducive to strokeplay. Suryakumar Yadav hit three sixes and two fours to finish not out on 73 off 43, while Naman Dhir hit two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten eight-ball 24 in the final two overs of the innings.Badani agreed that that is where DC lost momentum.”Until then, the 18 overs that were bowled by us were consistent, were spot on,” he said. “Our execution wasn’t to our expectation in the end. Those 48 runs in the last two overs were a big difference. [We should] be able to read the game better, be able to understand that the surface was slower. We could have gone to the cutters and wide yorkers. Even if you look to nail yorkers at this level, you would expect bowlers of international level to come and nail those balls. And if you don’t do that, players like Surya who’s been around long enough, will punish you.”Badani also rued DC missing regular captain Axar Patel, who was down with a bad flu for the last few days and did not even travel to the ground. In Axar’s absence, DC played only the two wristspinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam. And their batting line-up had only one left-hander – Porel – in the top eight.”Someone like an Axar Patel would have made a massive difference to us,” Badani said. “Left-arm spinners on this surface, somebody of his calibre, also with his left-hand batting, could have also countered [Mitchell] Santner. But as I said, the better side won, and I wish them well.”Looking back at the season, Badani also lamented on the near-misses that cost them the qualification.”For me, [the IPL is] a marathon,” he said. “We had a great sprint to start with, where we had four [wins] at the top. We had five wins in six games and that is a great place to be. Since then, we’ve just struggled and not found that win.”To some extent, we’ve also had games where we genuinely felt that we could have won, and we just didn’t finish those games. Like for instance, even [against] Mumbai at Delhi, we were cantering along and lost the game from there. Even against KKR, we had to get 60 in six [69 off 41 balls] with seven wickets in hand, two set batters [du Plessis and Axar].”If you want to win this competition, if you want to go to the playoffs, you want to ideally finish those games. And if you don’t, then you have no one else to blame but yourself.”DC’s last league game is against Punjab Kings in Jaipur on May 24.
حقق فريق الاتحاد فوزًا صعبًا على منافسه النصر بنتيجة 2-1، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين.
وأقيمت المباراة بين النصر والاتحاد على أرضية ملعب الأول بارك في إطار لقاءات دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين.
طالع..الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور ربع نهائي كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين
وافتتح الاتحاد التسجيل في الدقيقة 15، بعدما استقبل الفرنسي كريم بنزيما، عرضية أرضية متقنة من الجهة اليمنى داخل منطقة الجزاء، قابلها بتسديدة يسارية قوية سكنت شباك الحارس معلنًا عن الهدف الأول.
وجاء هدف التعادل لصالح النصر في الدقيقة 30، بعد عرضية من كريستيانو رونالدو من الجهة اليسرى اصطدمت بمدافع الاتحاد، قبل أن يتابعها أنجيلو جابرييل بتسديدة قوية على يمين الحارس داخل الشباك.
وفي الدقيقة 45+2، نجح حسام عوار في تسجيل هدف التقدم لـ الاتحاد بعد استلام تمريرة بينية مميزة، ليسدد الكرة بباطن القدم على يسار الحارس، معلنًا عن الهدف الثاني لفريقه. أهداف مباراة الاتحاد والنصر في كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين
أهداف كلاسيكو #أغلى_الكؤوس ⚽️🏆 النصر 1️⃣ – 2️⃣ الاتحاد#النصر_الاتحاد pic.twitter.com/OxWfC8qIgY — رياضة ثمانية (@thmanyahsports) October 28, 2025
وشهدت المباراة طرد لاعب الاتحاد أحمد الجليدان في الدقيقة 49، بعد تدخل عنيف على أيمن يحيى، ليكمل العميد اللقاء بعشرة لاعبين حتى صافرة النهاية.
وبهذه النتيجة، تأهل الاتحاد إلى ربع نهائي كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين، بينما ودّع النصر البطولة من هذا الدور.
Many Tottenham Hotspur fans would have expected a victory against Bodo Glimt last night, but it wasn’t to be, as they walked away with a 2-2 draw in Norway.
Such a result could have been a lot worse for Thomas Frank, with the Lilywhites trailing by two goals heading into the final 24 minutes of the European contest.
An own goal and a Micky van de Ven effort saved the side from a shock defeat, with numerous players failing to impress in their second Champions League outing of 2025/26.
Numerous players fell way below the levels expected of the Premier League side, with Richarlison, the club’s centre forward for the clash, only registering a total of 10 touches in 90 minutes.
There’s no denying that one former player would have been perfect for their clash last night, with the Lilywhites massively lacking his presence within the final third.
Why Harry Kane would’ve got Spurs out of trouble on Tuesday
Harry Kane is a player who remains close to the hearts of the Spurs fanbase, given his time in North London, where he netted a total of 280 goals during his decade-long spell at the club.
Such a tally is the highest in the club’s history, but they’ve been without his services over the last couple of years after he joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.
Merlin Rohl for SC Freiburg against Bayern Munich's Harry Kane.
In 2025/26, with the Club World Cup included, the 32-year-old has been nothing short of phenomenal, scoring 20 times and registering four assists – subsequently having the creative nous to produce the goods at key moments.
He’s registered 12 goal contributions in his last five matches across all competitions, further highlighting his ability to cause carnage within the attacking department.
To highlight his creative ability, he’s registered three more combined goals and assists than the Lilywhites first-team have managed in the same time period – with Frank certainly wishing he was able to call upon the Englishman.
However, a reunion could prove to be on the cards in the near future, with rumours linking the talisman with a sensational return to his boyhood club in the not-too-distant future.
Despite his impressive form away from the club, the Dane does have the ability to rely upon one player who showcased his talents massively against Bodo Glimt last night.
The Spurs player who’s emulating Kane under Frank
There’s no denying that the showing of Spurs in Norway yesterday was way below the expectations of the fanbase, with the front line coming under fire for their lack of impact.
As previously mentioned, Richarlison failed to produce any meaningful contributions, after only completing two passes all game and missing one big chance in the process.
Brennan Johnson was another player who struggled to make the desired impact, subsequently failing to complete a single dribble or cross during his hour-long display.
The Welshman has come under fire from the fanbase once again, not for the first time, after previously having to delete his social media accounts following abuse from supporters online.
However, it wasn’t all bad for Frank’s side in Norway, with right-back Pedro Porro managing to impress during the draw – undoubtedly being one of the shining lights in the disappointing showing.
The Spaniard managed to register an assist for Van de Ven’s effort, now holding an impressive record that highlights the creativity he possesses despite his defensive role.
He’s now registered 18 assists since the start of 2023/24, a number which is the highest of any Premier League defender across all competitions in the same time period.
It’s that ability to create goal-scoring opportunities at will that has seen him emulate Kane. Truth be told, the Lilywhites have missed not just the English striker’s goalscoring exploits but also his assist-making.
Indeed, the centre-forward registered 63 assists during his time in north London, with a whopping 17 of those coming in one campaign (2021/22). So good was Kane at playmaking that former teammate Matt Doherty once said: “That period under Antonio [Conte], he had a better passing range than [Kevin] De Bruyne at the time.”
Safe to say, Porro’s creativity is pretty damn good too, and he’s helping to void the creative void left behind by Kane.
However, despite the full-back’s tangible success, his underlying numbers were just as impressive on Tuesday evening, including his ability to register 78 touches during the contest.
Porro also completed 40 passes last night, 13 of which were into the opposition’s third – further showcasing the creative ability he possesses in his locker.
Numbers such as three chances created and 100% dribbles completed also add to his talents in possession, but he still managed to produce impressive figures without the ball, too.
Pedro Porro – stats against Bodo Glimt
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
90
Touches
78
Passes completed
40
Passes into final third
13
Chances created
3
Tackles made
2
Recoveries made
2
Dribbles made
100%
Stats via FotMob
The 26-year-old made two tackles during the draw, whilst also making two recoveries and one interception – arguably being the perfect all-round fullback for Frank’s system.
Questions may be asked about his display, but there’s no taking away from his ability to create chances and get the side out of trouble when they’re void of ideas in attacking areas.
Should he continue his impressive assist record, there’s no reason as to why he can’t be a crucial member of Frank’s squad in the Dane’s hunt for success during his tenure in North London.
Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Bodo Glimt
Tottenham Hotspur managed to rescue a 2-2 draw last night, but some players failed to catch the eye.
There was a heated exchange between Colin Munro and Iftikhar Ahmed over the latter’s action during the chase
Rvel Zahid23-Apr-2025
Andries Gous led United’s strong chase•PCB
Islamabad United continued their scintillating run in PSL 2025, romping to a fifth victory on the trot after Andries Gous produced a powerful display to lead their comfortable chase of 169.Opting to bat first, Multan Sultans were unscathed through the powerplay, amassing 48 without loss, but more runs were needed on a slow surface with the fielding restrictions in place. From there on, the United spinners applied a stranglehold with their variations.Mohammad Nawaz broke the opening stand when he had Yasir Khan taken at long-on. Usman Khan was able to keep the score moving in his characteristic agricultural ways but Mohammad Rizwan found it tough to shift gears and his struggles came to an end with a soft dismissal off Shadab Khan.Usman continued to make good progress and brought up his fifty in 29 deliveries, but Michael Bracewell fell to Riley Meredith when he miscued a pull. Iftikhar Ahmed gloved Jason Holder to the keeper, the West Indian continuing to impress in his maiden PSL stint, making life tough with his cunning cutters and steep bounce.Usman was short of his crease when he tried to hustle for the second run in the penultimate over and Kamran Ghulam produced a useful hand as Sultans huffed and puffed their way to 168 for 5.United’s spinners dominated the proceedings and helped keep a lid on the score, which ultimately made the difference as Sultans’ spin attack struggled to stall momentum after the powerplay and couldn’t exert pressure to create opportunities for wickets.Riley Meredith celebrates a wicket with Jason Holder•PCB
Chasing a modest total with dew coming down, the reliable Sahibzada Farhan cashed in on his rich vein of form. He provided another brisk start with 22 off 13 balls before getting ruffled by a short delivery from Ubaid Shah that cramped him for room.Gous was joined by Colin Munro and together they piled misery on Sultans in a stand of 81 off 48 balls. Munro was involved in a heated exchanged with Iftikhar in the tenth over when he appeared to question the bowler’s action, which led to a brief delay as the umpires stepped in.Munro fell shortly after, picking out Iftikhar at long-on, but Nawaz joined Gous in another brisk partnership of 55 off 39 balls to ensure the result was never in doubt. Gous repaid the team management’s faith and conjured a chanceless performance, growing in confidence as the innings progressed.For Sultans, Josh Little couldn’t make early inroads, Usama Mir was inconsistent with his length as he was taken for 41 off his four overs, and Chris Jordan didn’t look threatening as his two overs cost 24.In contrast, all engines are firing at full throttle for United who further solidified their position at the top. Sultans find themselves languishing down at the bottom of the table and it’s becoming imperative to win for them to stay in contention.
تلقى نادي برشلونة أخبارًا سيئة للغاية قبل يومين من الكلاسيكو، حيث لم يتدرب جول كوندي ورافينها مع زملائهما صباح اليوم الجمعة قبل لقاء قمة الدوري الاسباني.
ونشرت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية إن برشلونة لا يشعر بقلق كبير بشأن كوندي بعد أن قام بأداء التدريبات في صالة الألعاب الرياضية ولا يوجد أي خطر على مشاركته في مباراة الأحد في البرنابيو وسيتدرب بجانب زملائه غداً السبت.
وكان رافينها قد أنهى التدريبات يوم الخميس وهو يشعر بآلام لدرجة أجبرته على الغياب عن التدريبات في المدينة الرياضية اليوم الجمعة وغادر قبل نهاية التدريبات بتعبيرات وجه جدية للغاية.
أقرأ أيضاً.. لتعويض فليك.. سبب يعيق تياجو ألكانتارا عن قيادة برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد
وبعد أن كان من المتوقع أن يشارك رافينها بديلاً في مباراة الكلاسيكو بعد غيابه لمدة شهر، فقد أصبح اللاعب مستبعدًا تماماً من مباراة الكلاسيكو.
وتثير حالة رافينها قلقًا واضطرابًا في النادي، في حالة أن عادت له إصابته في عضلة الفخد الخلفية في ساقه اليمنى فقد تمتد فترة غيابه لشهر آخر على الأقل حتى ما بعد فترة التوقف الدولي في نوفمبر.
وقد يغيب رافينها عن أربع مباريات أخرى وهي ريال مدريد وإلتشي وكلوب بروج وسيلتا فيجو، وهذا يعني أنه سيعود ضد أتلتيك بلباو يوم 22 نوفمبر.
Turning their focus towards the Club World Cup, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a South American star this summer.
Who Wolves could sign next after Lopez
Wolves still have money to burn after welcoming Fer Lopez and could yet do so to make an emphatic statement ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first full season in the charge. The sales of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha may have dealt the Midlands club a frustrating double blow, but they have also provided those at Molineux with the funds to pursue names such as Harvey Elliott.
£85m release clause: Wolves make first approach to sign South American gem
The Midlands club could sign the midfielder in a cut-price deal.
ByTom Cunningham Jun 26, 2025
The Liverpool youngster seems to be edging closer to the exit door at Anfield and recent reports revealed that it is Wolves who are confident of getting a deal done to secure his signature. Priced at £40m, Pereira could yet welcome a player who just dragged England into the U21 Euros final with a fantastic winning goal to add to his first effort.
His price tag may seem steep on paper, but Elliott would be worth every penny on the pitch. At just 22 years old, the Liverpool gem is already a two-time Premier League winner and has also won both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time in Merseyside. What makes those achievements even more special is the fact that he is yet to reach the peak of his powers.
Wolves have an opportunity to sign an underrated youngster this summer and must do everything to secure his signature. It’s then that Elliott could also be joined by a Club World Cup star as the focus remains on welcoming exciting young talents in the Midlands this summer.
Wolves make first Wallace Yan approach
As reported by Globo Esporte and relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves have now made their first approach to sign Wallace Yan from Flamengo. The 20-year-old forward has a release clause to join European clubs worth €40m (£34m) and could yet swap South America for the Midlands as a result this summer.
Flamengo's Wallace Yan celebrates scoring against Flamengo.
The young forward has already enjoyed the feeling of scoring against English opposition too, having netted Flamengo’s third goal in a shock 3-1 victory over Chelsea at the Club World Cup.
A player who was described as “selfless” by analyst Ben Mattinson in April, Yan is full of potential and joining following former Fluminense midfielder Andre to Wolves could be the perfect way to reach that potential.
The deal won’t come cheap, but the Brazilian proved that has the quality to match Premier League opposition when he squared off against Chelsea. Now, Wolves would be wise to make their move.
Even though he missed almost four months of action, it would be fair to say that Bukayo Saka was one of Arsenal’s best players this season.
It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, though, as the Hale End superstar has been getting better seemingly year after year for some time now.
However, even so, his tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances this year was nothing short of remarkable, and had he been fit for more of it, the Gunners might have run Liverpool a lot closer in the Premier League.
So, fans should be incredibly excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with a young wonderkid who’s been compared to the talismanic number seven.
Arsenal transfer news
Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of the other brilliant players linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, like Ademola Lookman and Karou Mitoma.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former could be available for around £55m this summer and would be a great addition to the Gunners’ squad, as in 40 appearances for Atalanta this season, he has scored 20 goals and provided seven assists.
Mitoma, on the other hand, could end up costing as much as £80m, and with a tally of 11 goals and four assists in 41 games, he might be less appealing of a target, even though he’s tried and tested in the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion's KaoruMitomain action with Fulham's Timothy Castagne
However, neither of these wingers can be classed as a young up-and-coming wonderkid like Kenan Yıldız.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now interested in the tremendously exciting Juventus gem.
Interestingly, the report reveals that much of this interest stems from the soon-to-be-hired Matteo Tognozzi, who was a scout at the Old Lady and was the man who discovered the talented Turkish ace.
However, if the Gunners are to get their man, they’ll likely have to match the Italian giant’s asking price of up to €80m, which converts to about £68m.
Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates
It would be a lot to spend on someone so young, but given Yıldız’s immense ability and potential, this is a transfer worth fighting for, especially as he’s been compared to Saka before.
How Yıldız compares to Saka
So, before we get into some of the other reasons Arsenal should be signing Yıldız this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Saka and where it has come from.
Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in last summer’s European Championships, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.
By doing this, it concluded that the Englishman was the third most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Turkish wonderkid in the entire competition.
Yıldız & Saka
Statistics per 90
Yıldız
Saka
Expected Assists
0.11
0.11
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.20
0.20
Passing Accuracy
83.65%
83.8%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.65
3.30
Goal-Creating actions
0.26
0.47
Tackles Won
0.53
0.57
Blocks
1.05
1.00
All Stats via FBref for EURO 2024
The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, tackles won, blocks, passing accuracy and more, all per 90.
However, while a comparison to someone as brilliantly talented as the Englishman is certainly encouraging, it’s not the only reason the Gunners should be looking to sign the young Juve ace.
For example, the “special talent,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, can play almost anywhere in attack, from both wings to attacking midfield and even up top.
Moreover, despite being 19 for most of this season, the Regensburg-born prospect scored seven goals and provided five assists in 35 appearances, which comes out to a pretty decent average of a goal involvement every 2.91 games for someone so young.
Juventus'KenanYildiz
Ultimately, while it would be a lot of money, Yıldız looks like he could be one of football’s next great stars, and for that reason, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him – the comparison to Saka is a nice bonus.
A hybrid between Gabriel & Saliba: Arsenal join the race to sign £68m star
Arsenal could sign a defender who’s like Gabriel and William Saliba.
It is the dawn of a new era for Glasgow Rangers after Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises officially completed a takeover of the club last week.
They have immediately invested £20m into the club and will now oversee the search for the team’s next head coach, after Barry Ferguson stepped away at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The former Scotland international was appointed as the interim boss after Philippe Clement was dismissed in February, and he only won six of his 15 matches in all competitions in the dugout at Ibrox.
Ferguson, whose team was held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian on the final day of the Scottish Premiership campaign, failed to do enough to convince the board that he was the man for the job moving forward.
The 49ers and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell are now tasked with finding a manager who can bring glory back to Ibrox, after four seasons without a Premiership title.
One of the first items on the agenda for any incoming Rangers head coach should be convincing Nicolas Raskin to remain with the Gers beyond the summer.
Why Nicolas Raskin could leave Rangers
The Belgium international could move on from Ibrox in the summer transfer window, as Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leeds United are both reportedly interested in the central midfielder.
Raskin has attracted interest from elsewhere due to his impressive performances for the Gers during the 2024/25 campaign, which led to him winning the club’s Men’s Player of the Year and the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year awards.
The 24-year-old star was deemed to be the best player at Ibrox this season and there are now teams who want to test how he would adapt to Premier League football next term.
Rangers, however, should be doing everything in their power to keep hold of the Belgian talent during the summer transfer window, because they will need as much quality as possible to finally beat Celtic to the Premiership title.
The former Standard Liege star is tenacious out of possession, as he averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 57% of his duels in the league this term, but the Light Blues star also provides plenty of quality on the ball.
24/25 Premiership
Nicolas Raskin
Appearances
33
Touches per game
68.4
Goals
4
Big chances created
9
Assists
10
Pass accuracy
87%
Dribbles completed per game
1.0
Dribble success rate
68%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Raskin is a player who thrives on the ball with his ability to both score and create goals from a central midfield position, whilst being efficient as a passer and a dribbler.
This suggests that the Belgian star would, therefore, love a manager who is committed to a ball-dominant style of play, which is why he should be pleased with the latest update on the Rangers manager search.
The latest on Russell Martin to Rangers
According to the Daily Mail, former Southampton head coach Russell Martin is one of the ‘main contenders’ to land the vacant managerial position at Ibrox.
The report claims that the former Scotland international, who had a loan spell with Rangers during his playing career, and Davide Ancelotti are the two main contenders for the role.
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It adds that Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax, and Brian Priske, most recently of Feyenoord, are also still in the running, but they are not as high up the list as Martin and Ancelotti.
The Daily Mail claims that the ex-Saints head coach was set to fall out of the race for the Rangers job when he was being lined up for the Leicester City position, but they have yet to sack Ruud Van Nistelrooy, so he remains in contention to replace Ferguson at Ibrox.
Appointing Martin as the first head coach of the 49ers era could be good news for supporters who want to see Raskin remain at the club, as the central midfielder could be a perfect fit for the Scottish tactician.
Why Nicolas Raskin would love Russell Martin
Analyst John Walker hailed Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football”, due to the ball-dominant nature of how he wants his teams to play, and that could suit the Belgium international perfectly.
As aforementioned, Raskin is a technically brilliant footballer who constantly looks to make things happen from a central midfield position, with passes, dribbles, goals, and assists, and he could have plenty of chances to influence games in this manager’s system.
The clip above, from his time at MK Dons, is a flavour of the way Martin’s teams play, with plenty of short passes under pressure and movement off the ball to provide players with multiple passing options at all times.
Raskin would be a perfect fit for the way the ex-Norwich City and Rangers centre-back likes to coach his sides, because of his dynamism off the ball and his quality in possession.
Russell Martin’s attacking style of play
23/24 Championship
Southampton
League rank
Pass accuracy
87.7%
1st
Passes into the penalty area
594
1st
Progressive passes
2556
1st
Shot-creating actions
1255
1st
xG
79.8
2nd
Points per game
1.89
4th
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Martin successfully deployed a possession-based system to get Southampton promoted out of the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, building a team that was incredibly dominant when it came to passing forward and creating high-quality chances.
These statistics suggest that Raskin, who created nine ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, would thrive in his system as a midfielder who would constantly have chances to dictate play and create even more opportunities for his teammates with the dominance that the style of play creates.
Therefore, the Belgian midfielder could be more inclined to stay at Rangers for another year because of the prospect of thriving in a side coached by Martin, as it could help him to take his game to the next level ahead of a bigger move next year.
49ers not messing: Rangers advancing free transfer to sign 29 y/o defender
This time last year, Leeds United were full to the brim with nerves as a Championship playoff final awaited the Whites at Wembley.
Thankfully, no such heartache on the biggest stage is plaguing Daniel Farke’s men currently, with any loss to Southampton now a distant memory, considering the second-tier title was wrapped up in style this season by the West Yorkshire giants.
One downside to Leeds winning promotion could come in the form of Harry Gray’s development being hindered, with so much already anticipated of the teenager at Elland Road despite the attacker only being 16 years of age.
Gray's incredible rise at Leeds
Plenty of the hype surrounding Gray does come from his notable namesake, with his brother Archie now on the books of Tottenham Hotspur and a Europa League winner after exploding into life in the senior game with the Whites.
Farke was heavily responsible for the 19-year-old’s sudden rise in the first team, considering he gifted the versatile Spurs number 14 his first senior opportunities at Elland Road, with history now amazingly repeating itself.
Indeed, with Leeds’ promotion virtually wrapped up, the German would start to name the 16-year-old sensation amongst his substitutes, with his first official appearance for his boyhood employers coming against Stoke City last month.
With 11 goals next to his name playing for both the U18s and U21s too, this could well be the early beginnings of a future icon in West Yorkshire. After all, he has already been described as “one of England’s best prospects in his generation” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.
Gray might not be the only rising star that could soon work his way into Farke’s regular first team picture, though, with this fellow Thorp Arch product possessing the potential to be as big a talent as the much-talked-about striker if given time.
The Leeds youngster who could be as impressive as Gray
It isn’t the biggest shock in the world to see the Leeds conveyor belt continuing to churn out more and more top-drawer youngsters with the likes of Kalvin Phillips once beginning his journey with the Whites.
Sam Chambers could be the next prodigy to rise the ranks and make an impression; therefore, with the exciting 17-year-old also gaining his first meaningful senior opportunities this season when given a cameo late last year versus Plymouth Argyle in the league, alongside an FA Cup chance against Millwall in 2025.
These rare slices of senior action would follow on from Chambers thumping home this effort in pre-season action for Farke’s men, with the promising Scotman really catching the eye at a youth level for the Whites for his versatility all across the attacking positions.
Indeed, his ability to maraud down the wings or play as a number 10 has even seen his ever-improving game be compared to that of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling by SCOUTED editor Llew Davies, who stated that Chambers “breaks open games, beats presses, creates positive attacking situations. He’s a little bit like Grealish, Emile Smith Rowe and Dibling.”
Chambers’ G/A numbers for Leeds by position
Position played in
Games
Goals scored
Assists
AM
20
2
3
CM
5
1
0
CF
4
1
1
LM
3
0
0
RW
1
0
0
LW
1
0
0
RM
1
0
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Chambers will aim to follow in both Grealish’s and Dibling’s footsteps, therefore, as the electric duo were both raw gems themselves once upon a time at Aston Villa and Southampton before their big breaks.
If he can go on to live up to these lofty comparisons, he could even be a bigger talent than Gray, with the future looking very bright at Elland Road as Premier League football returns, alongside yet another generation of stars coming through that look extremely encouraging.
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